Heuchera plant named &#39;Blondie&#39;

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct  Heuchera  plant characterized by small red brown spring leaves that mature to a tan color, winter leaves of olive green with red veins, yellow green to creamy yellow flowers in wands with red pedicels, very free flowering on short, red flower stalks, a small, multi-crowned, low mounding habit, and excellent vigor.

BOTANICAL DENOMINATION

Heuchera sp.

VARIETY DESIGNATION

‘Blondie’

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Heuchera and given the cultivar name of ‘Blondie’. Heuchera is in the family Saxifragaceae. Heuchera ‘Blondie’ originated from a cross between Heuchera K266-2, a proprietary non-commercial hybrid, as the seed parent, and Heuchera K376-1, a proprietary non-commercial hybrid, as, as the pollen parent.

Compared to the seed parent, Heuchera K266-2, the new cultivar is similar, but the leaves of the new cultivar are much smaller.

Compared to the pollen parent, Heuchera K376-1, the new cultivar has smaller leaves that are red brown when young to deep green with red veins when mature rather than red purple leaves.

There are no similar Heuchera on the market known to the breeder.

This new Heuchera is uniquely distinguished by:

1. small red brown spring leaves that mature to a tan color,

2. winter leaves olive green with red veins,

3. yellow green to creamy yellow flowers in wands with red pedicels,

4. very free flowering on short, red flower stalks,

5. small, multi-crowned, low mounding habit, and

6. excellent vigor.

This new cultivar has been reproduced only by asexual propagation (tip cuttings and tissue culture). Each of the progeny exhibits identical characteristics to the original plant. Asexual propagation by cuttings and tissue culture using standard micropropagation techniques with terminal and lateral shoots, as done in Canby, Oreg., shows that the foregoing characteristics and distinctions come true to form and are established and transmitted through succeeding propagations. The present invention has not been evaluated under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may change with variations in environment without a change in the genotype of the plant.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

FIG. 1 shows a one-year-old plant of Heuchera ‘Blondie’ growing in a one gallon pot in a cold greenhouse in April in Canby, Oreg.

DETAILED PLANT DESCRIPTION

The following is a detailed description of the new Heuchera cultivar based on observations of two-year-old specimens growing in one gallon containers in a cold greenhouse in March in Canby, Oreg. Canby is Zone 8 on the USDA Hardiness map. Temperatures range from a high of 95 degrees F. in August to and average of 32 degrees F. in January. Normal rainfall in Canby is 42.8 inches per year. The color descriptions are all based on The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 1999 edition, 5^(th) edition.

-   Plant:     -   -   Form.—basal rosette, herbaceous perennial.         -   Hardiness.—USDA Zone 4 to 9.         -   Size.—14 cm tall from top of the foliage to the ground and             30 cm wide.         -   Habit.—mounding.         -   Vigor.—excellent. -   Leaf:     -   -   Type.—simple.         -   Arrangement.—rosette.         -   Shape.—broadly ovate to orbicular.         -   Lobing/division.—5 to 7 shallow lobes.         -   Venation.—palmate.         -   Margins.—crenate.         -   Apex.—mucronulate.         -   Base.—cordate.         -   Blade size.—grows to 7 cm long and 7 cm wide.         -   Texture.—leathery.         -   Surface texture.—glandular on top and bottom.         -   Petiole description.—grows to 11 cm long and 1.5 mm wide,             glandular hairs, Greyed Purple 187A.         -   Leaf color.—color variable, topside, new leaves in spring             and summer Greyed Red 178A maturing to Brown 200A then later             fading to Yellow Green 148A with lighter veins of Yellow             Green 149D, winter leaves Yellow Green 147A with veins             Greyed Purple 187A; bottom side between Greyed Purple 187B             and N187C. -   Inflorescence:     -   -   Size.—grows to 4 cm wide and 9 cm long.         -   Type.—thyrse.         -   Number of flowers per thyrse.—about 100.         -   Number of thyrse.—about 25 in the first spring flush,             reblooming all summer.         -   Peduncle.—grows to 20 cm long, 3 mm wide at base, Greyed             Purple 187B, glandular hairs.         -   Pedicel.—variable in size, with glandular hairs, Greyed             Purple 187B.         -   Bloom period.—April through October in Canby, Oreg. -   Flower bud:     -   -   Size.—2 mm wide and 2.5 mm long.         -   Description.—glandular puberulent, ovoid, down facing.         -   Color.—Yellow Green 1A on top half and Greyed Orange N170B             on bottom half. -   Flower:     -   -   Type.—perfect.         -   Shape.—campanulate.         -   Size.—4 mm long and 3 mm wide.         -   Corolla description.—5 petals, 2 mm long and 0.5 mm wide,             narrowly spatulate, margins entire, tip acute, glabrous top             and bottom, White NN155C.         -   Calyx description.—campanulate, 4 mm long and 3 mm wide,             with 5 lobes divided ½ way to the base, each 1.4 mm wide and             2 mm long, glandular hairs outside and glabrous inside, tips             obtuse, margin entire; color both sides Yellow Green 145B on             top half and Greyed Yellow 160A on bottom half.         -   Stamen description.—5 in number, filaments 2 mm long, White             157D, anthers 0.2 mm, Greyed Orange 177B, pollen none.         -   Pistil description.—1, 2-beaked, 4 mm long and 2 mm wide;             Yellow Green 145C overall, ovary 1.5 mm long and 1.5 mm             wide; style 2.5 mm long.         -   Fragrance.—none.         -   Lastingness.—each thyrse blooms for about 3 weeks on the             plant. -   Fruit:     -   -   Type.—two-beaked ovoid capsule.         -   Fertility.—low.         -   Color.—Greyed Brown 199C. -   Seed:     -   -   Shape.—linear.         -   Size.—2 mm long.         -   Color.—Black 202A. -   Pest and disease tolerance: The new cultivar is typical to the     genus. No known resistances to pests or diseases. No problems have     been found in Canby, Oreg. 

I claim:
 1. A new and distinct Heuchera plant as herein illustrated and described. 